Review: Excelsior Chicken Noodle House (Richmond, BC)

Had dinner with the family a couple nights ago. We got the gang together for Alaskan King Crab (hurry, before it isn't "in season" anymore!).

We generally go to Excelsior for two things: Alaskan King Crab, and pork tripe soup. Excelsior has won an award for the Best Crab course in Richmond! This is because the crab is fresh (you can taste and feel a difference in texture when the crab has been in captivity at the restaurant for too long), the small kitchen and small restaurant allows food to be brought to the diners ASAP, and because you can choose from a variety of ways to have your crab!

My mother opted to have four courses: the legs were prepared two ways - ginger and onion steamed, and garlic steamed. Everyone preferred the latter over the former. The restaurant also uses the steaming liquor from the first course to prepare a noodle that is served with green onions and chives. Chinese love it for the light, fresh flavour, and for the "al dente" (dan gnah)texture of the noodles.

The larger cluster of meat where the leg meets the body was dredged in seasoned flour, deep fried, and seasoned again with garlic chips, jalapenos, and pepper. Finally, the crab head is utilized to prepare a baked crab-scented rice.

Western and European cuisine use the shells or carcasses of shrimp, lobster, and other seafood to prepare bisque. Well, in Cantonese cuisine, we utilize the fact that the shell has so much flavour as well, and Excelsior prepared a baked rice from the head.



It seemed every other table was there for Alaskan King Crab the night we dined there as well - everyone had platters of king crab legs, baked crab rice, or noodles prepared in crab sauce on their tables!

Alas, dining with my family, you have to act fast. Thus, there were no photos of the ginger and onion steamed crab legs, or the garlic steamed crab legs (my favourite!), or the spicy deep fried crab clusters (my favourite!). Trust me though, it was good.

I did manage to snap shots of the honey spareribs (above), singing chicken hot pot (below, left), the baked crab rice, also "my favourite!" (below, center), and soy sauce chicken (below, right). We also had platters of vegetables braised with gingko nuts and mushrooms, and Excelsiors "lo fo tong" (a house soup, of sorts).

The ambience wasn't much except for crowded and busy - if you like buzzing energy, this is the place to go. :)



Food was great and bellies were full in the end. But the best part was the company.

Excelsior Chicken Noodle House

6-6340 No. 3 Road [map]

Richmond, BC